2007 - Hurricane Henriette's last minute move to the east spared Todos Santos. It was a lot like Hurricane John last year. We lost electricity, water and phones for up to 20 hours and received a fair amount of rain but the winds stayed tropical storm strength and the town held up admirably. The roads are clear and passable (but muddy in places) to La Paz and Los Cabos. For more info and images, check Todos Santos Pages blog.

2006 - Hurricane John has passed and Todos Santos is okay. The last minute jog to the north by John saved Todos Santos from great damage but doomed the East Cape area to suffer the high winds. We lost power and water for about 24 hours but all is restored now, including internet access. The Pacific side was very lucky indeed, this time. (East Cape photos can be found here.)

August 31, 2006 was as normal as ever, head high waves and crystal clear skies. Early morning surfers enjoyed some rideable waves.

Although the storm basically missed Todos Santos, some damage was apparent by the morning of September 2. Highway 19 (which runs through the middle of Todos Santos) had been under repair for most of the summer and was still a dirt road when John struck. The callejon flooded as always, no surprises there. Lots of dirt roads have deep trenches in them caused by water runoff. But all in all, Todos Santos dodged a really powerful bullet.

Hurricane Marty took a good shot at Todos
Santos and southern Baja. On Monday, September 22, we lost
power and water at 3 a.m. while the storm was 30 miles south of Cabo
San Lucas. Hard rain and high winds whipped through the early morning.
By 8 a.m. Marty was 30 miles northeast of La Paz and we had our strongest
winds, gusting to an estimated 90+ mph. The callejon flooded as usual.
In town, roads were passable. Access to La Paz and Cabo was briefly
interrupted. By Wednesday, September 24, city water was back on, but
still no power. Friday, September 26, between 2 and 4 p.m. power was
restored but by 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning, power and water were off
again. On Saturday, September 27, in the mid-afternoon, both power and
water were permanently restored and Todos Santos had weathered its second
hurricane of this historic storm season. Business is back to normal.
Overnight accommodations and lodgings including hotels and vacation
rentals, restaurants and stores are all open for business.

Hurricane Ignacio did no lasting damage
to Todos Santos. The streets were muddy but we were only without electricity
for less than 24 hours, never lost telephone service, and life has quickly
returned to normal. Overnight accommodations and lodgings including
hotels and vacation rentals, restaurants and stores are all open for
business.

Hurricane Juliet - September 2001 (photo courtesy CIMSS)

Rarely does Todos Santos experience a direct
hit from a chubasco (hurricane) and the chances of a storm severely affecting
Todos Santos are minimal. The town is not in the Eastern Pacific hurricane alley.
Storms normally form way to the south, off the coast of Acapulco, and drift
to the northwest, missing the Baja by hundreds of miles. But in September of
1996, the eye of Hurricane Fausto passed right over town. A category 3 storm,
with 105 mph winds, Fausto did remarkably little damage. Trees toppled, debris
flew and roofs suffered. There was no major water or flood damage. Electricity
and water service were interrupted for a few days, but there was no direct loss
of life and remarkably, the telephones continued to work throughout the storm.

Chubasco season,
officially June 1 - October 31, brings life-giving rain to the Baja Peninsula.
La Paz and Los Cabos are more susceptible than Todos Santos due to the warmer
water surrounding them. The greatest danger in Todos Santos is from the high
surf. The pounding waves cause serious erosion. It is not a good time for swimming
in the ocean, although surfers just love the intense wave action. The chance
of tropical storms affecting the weather in Todos Santos is highest in August
and September. Warm moist air is driven northward from the south and it rains
frequently in the mountains, in La Paz and sometimes in Todos Santos too.

Hurricane Adolph - May 2001 (photo courtesy OSEI)

Locals anticipate the tropical storm season with excitement
for it brings much needed rain to the area. The lightening and thunder storms
over the mountains can be remarkable. In the event of heavy rains, roads out
of Todos Santos may become temporarily impassable and electricity or water service
may be cut off. It is wise to have extra water, food and batteries for flashlights
during the chubasco season.

Todos Santos is located on the Tropic of Cancer in the
southern portion of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico just one hour
north of Cabo San Lucas and one hour south of La Paz. Long known as a
cultural, artistic and agricultural center, the
town is a desert oasis, 1 kilometer from the Pacific Ocean at the foothills
of the Sierra de La Laguna mountains. Since
the mid 1980's, the area has become a tourist / retirement destination
and home to numerous art galleries, artists,
fine restaurants, elegant hotels, unique vacation rentals and local festivals.